Rubin Shrestha
Rubin Shrestha
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I can’t start my Docker container, error ‘mkdocs.yml’ does not exist

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Container fails to start. “Error: Config ‘mkdocs.yml’ does not exist”

My reference docker build is taken from a clone of doubleSlashde/mkdocs-likec4

OS version: Windows 11 Enterprise 10.0.26100

Docker Version
Client:
 Version:           29.6.2
 API version:       1.55
 Go version:        go1.26.5
 Git commit:        dfc4efb
 Built:             Thu Jul 16 16:14:59 2026
 OS/Arch:           windows/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.85.0 (235549)
 Engine:
  Version:          29.6.2
  API version:      1.55 (minimum version 1.40)
  Go version:       go1.26.5
  Git commit:       3d80467
  Built:            Thu Jul 16 16:12:20 2026
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          v2.2.5
  GitCommit:        e53c7c1516c3b2bff98eb76f1f4117477e6f4e66
 runc:
  Version:          1.3.6
  GitCommit:        v1.3.6-0-g491b69ba
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

DockerFile

FROM debian:13.3-slim


# Install system dependencies
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends 
    npm python3 python3-pip graphviz 
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*


COPY package.json package-lock.json /opt/likec4/
RUN cd /opt/likec4 && npm ci
ENV PATH="/opt/likec4/node_modules/.bin:${PATH}"


COPY requirements-docs.txt /tmp/requirements-docs.txt
RUN pip3 install --break-system-packages -r /tmp/requirements-docs.txt && rm /tmp/requirements-docs.txt


# Copy plugin source and install
COPY . /tmp/mkdocs-likec4/
RUN pip3 install --break-system-packages /tmp/mkdocs-likec4/ && rm -rf /tmp/mkdocs-likec4


WORKDIR /docs
EXPOSE 8000
CMD ["mkdocs", "serve", "-a", "0.0.0.0:8000", "--livereload"]

On day 0

  • this local cloned repo built from the command line docker build -t mkdoc-likec4

Windows Docker.Desktop

  • appeared in builds and images features
  • Launched successfully in the containers feature

I used this repo to fix and troubleshoot my own repo, this was successful

I concluded by using the dustbin icon of the Docker.Desktop containers, images and builds features to remove all the days work.

On day 1

I rebuilt from the command linedocker build -t mkdoc-likec4 .

Windows Docker.Desktop: the build / image

  • did not appear in the app respective features, command line docker images --all, returned nothing

  • appeared only after changing my command line to

    • set DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1
    • docker buildx build --load -t mkdoc-likecfour_1:latest .

  • the container: I am unable to launch the container.

    • Error: Config 'mkdocs.yml' does not exist

I get this on both repos from the previous day.

  • Curiously, neither repos have a mkdocs.yml, they both have a mkdocs.yaml files
  • I did change the suffix without success
  • I am at a loss to understand what the problem is or how to debug.

No changes have been made to the cloned source files.

  • If the file is actually missing from the build, how do I access it to see what was added to the build?
  • Is this actually not a source or build problem at all but a Docker.Desktop problem?
  • As a newbie to Docker.Desktop, I wonder if all my house-keeping on day 0 has royally screwed my local environment

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